Ashley Turner
Contributor
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126articles
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118News
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8Features
About Ashley Turner
Ashley has been writing about video games professionally for over eight years, but her path into gaming journalism wasn't exactly a straight line. She grew up playing games and got a Nintendo 64 when she was about 10, immediately falling in love with Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Over the years, she collected consoles like they were going out of style: Super Nintendo, Xbox 360, and every PlayStation from PS2 through PS5.
But honestly? Her gaming interest kind of faded for a while. Then in college, she met a friend who handed her Dragon Quest VIII and said "just try it." That was her first JRPG, and it completely reignited her passion for games. She realized she didn't just want to play them. She wanted to write about them, talk about them, and share that enthusiasm with other people who get it.
Since then, Ashley has written for PopCulture.com, ComicBook.com, Business Insider, and TheWrap, covering everything from breaking news to feature stories about how games shape (and are shaped by) pop culture. Her work spans the full spectrum of gaming content: reviews, news coverage, cultural analysis, and the kind of evergreen pieces that help players get the most out of their favorite titles.
She has a Master's in International Media from American University and a Bachelor's in Mass Communications from VCU, which sounds fancy but really just means she's spent a lot of time thinking critically about how we tell stories, whether that's through traditional media or interactive experiences.
At the end of the day, Ashley writes about games because she genuinely loves them. She's not chasing world-first raids or 2,000-hour playtime milestones. She's just someone who's been playing for decades, who understands what makes a game click, and who wants to help other players discover their next favorite experience.
Industry Focus
RPGs, JRPGs, and narrative-driven games with a particular emphasis on storytelling, character development, and world-building. I'm drawn to games that prioritize player choice and emotional impact, but I'm equally passionate about chronicling gaming and internet culture more broadly. I love exploring the sociological aspects of gaming communities, tracking how games intersect with larger cultural movements, and finding unique angles on stories that might otherwise fly under the radar. Whether it's examining how a game tackles complex themes or uncovering the human stories behind the pixels, I'm always looking for the narrative thread that makes a topic worth talking about.
Favorite Games
The Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age series, the Persona series, Final Fantasy, and Elden Ring. I also enjoy indie narrative experiences like What Remains of Edith Finch and games that experiment with storytelling mechanics.
Favorite Console
PlayStation 5, though I have a soft spot for my Nintendo Switch for portable gaming and Nintendo's first-party titles. The PS5's library and performance have made it my go-to for recent releases.
Latest
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